Chateau Val-Joanis, Pertuis, France, Part Three

A Beautiful Vitex Tree

Just Loved the Garden Ornamentation!

Love the Crow on the Post!

Loved the Fence Giving the Ornamental Grass More Structure!

Pears on Poles!  Say That Three Times Fast!

Apples on Pyramidal Shapes

Smoke Trees in the Distance

Another French Rose, An Herb of the Year

Lemon Verbena!

The gardens of Chateau Val-Joanis were conceived by Cecile Chancel in 1978 and with the advice of garden landscaper, Tobie Loup de Viane, she created three terraces, the potager with vegetables, herbs and flowers,  the second terrace for flowers and the third terrace for ornamental grasses, trees and flowers.  It used stones salvaged from a Roman pool in an area protected from the Mistral wind.  It is a remarkable garden.  This is the final part for this remarkable garden.  I hope you have enjoyed it.  It is like a furnace outside.  The Herbal Husband soldiers through and I'm like a wilted lily!  Hope you had a great day.  Talk to you soon.

Chateau Val-Joanis, Pertuis, France, Part Two

A Collection of Watering Cans

A Nice Place for Lunch on a Cloudy Day!

Another birdhouse with the Espaliered Apples

I think Parsley in Bloom and Garlic Chives!

Cardoon or Globe Artichokes

Zucchini

The Sign on the Left Post says Fragile!

Elecampane! Have Always Wanted to Grow It!

French Roses in Celebration of the Herb of the Year!

The gardens of Chateau Val-Joanis were conceived by Cecile Chancel in 1978 and with the advice of garden landscaper, Tobie Loup de Viane, she created three terraces, the potager with vegetables, herbs and flowers,  the second terrace for flowers and the third terrace for ornamental grasses, trees and flowers.  It used stones salvaged from a Roman pool in an area protected from the Mistral wind.  It is a remarkable garden.  As you can see this is Part Two, so Part Three is on the way.  It is like a furnace outside.  The Herbal Husband soldiers through and I'm like a wilted lily!  Hope you had a great day.  Talk to you soon.

Chateau Val-Joanis, Pertuis, France, Part One

Very Modern Winery

Grapes to Make Wine

The Garden was Given The "Remarkable" Award in 2005

Part of the Potager

A Bit of Whimsy

There are Birdhouses Everywhere in the Gardens

A Hedge of French Tarragon and Lavender

Espaliered Apples

Tepees for the Tomatoes

Even the lettuces are Beautifully Displayed

This garden was discovered as I thumbed through a book called The Gardens of Provence and the Cote d'Azur by Marie-Francoise Valery.

When I found out last year we were going to the south of France, I immediately pulled out this book and began search for gardens we might be able to see.  The Herbal Husband tends to pack our time so I had to convince him that this garden was special.  I think once we were there, he was definitely impressed and was very eager to visit.  There also was a French news magazine there filming and we were asked to walk back and forth in the garden.  I thought for a minute the director said "work".  I thought he was kidding and he was, it was walk not work!  So in February this year, we were on French TV, I think.  I need to see if we can see it anywhere.  The garden was conceived by Cecile Chancel in 1978 and with the advice of garden landscaper, Tobie Loup de Viane, she created three terraces, the potager with vegetables, herbs and flowers,  the second terrace for flowers and the third terrace for ornamental grasses, trees and flowers.  It used stones salvaged from a Roman pool in an area protected from the Mistral wind.  It is a remarkable garden.  As you can see this is Part One, so Part Two is on the way.  It is like a furnace outside.  The Herbal Husband soldiers through and I'm like a wilted lily!  Hope you had a great day.  Talk to you soon.

Vacation Photos of the South of France and Lavender!

The Village of Monieux, France

A Hedge of Rosemary!

Lavender Co-operative in Sault

Views of the Lavender Fields below Sault

A Private Kitchen Garden  in Sault

More Lavender Fields

The Red-Ocre Soil of the Lavender Fields

Abbaye Norte-Dame de Senanque Outside Gordes

Lavender at the Musee de la Lavande

Production Gardens of the Musee des Aromes

Production Gardens of the Musee des Aromes

Sharon Lovejoy's Favorite Village in the south of France, Saignon

I really haven't share enough of my trips to Vancouver or Europe last year.  So in anticipation of my guest blogger post being posted on The Herb Companion website, I'm going to be publishing more photos of my visits to both Vancouver and Europe last year.  Because we are in the midst of July and this is when we got to see the lavender blooming, I'm sharing some favorite views of the south of France.  There will be more to come.  This is just the first wave.  I did drive for your safety and mine.  Really it is the only way to see some of the small villages and get the feel of the south of France.  Many of the villages sit up on rock ledges and small mountains.  It was beautiful weather and a beautiful place.  Here are some links for the places we visited.  Abbaye Norte-Dame de Senanque is a beautiful 12th century abbey where the monks grow both lavender and keep bees for their livelihood.  Musee de la Lavande is of course the Museum of Lavender near Gordes.    Musee des Aromes is a perfume museum and distillery of lavender and other fragrances near Graveson.  Dear Sharon Lovejoy pointed in the direction of Saignon and we were not disappointed Sharon.  There was even a wedding there in the church.  A very special place.

Hope you are having a great day.  We have the ickies and stickies back!  It is really icky this time!  Will show you what else I have been up to in the coming days.  Talk to you later.

More European Adventures-Graveson and Arles, France!

Pizza and Salad at a local restaurant in Graveson, France

The Herbal Husband's Favorite-Tiramisu

Lavender and Rosemary-A Staple of Southern France

The Sunflower Fields in Bloom on the Way to Arles

The Rhone River in Arles, France

Can You Believe it!  I Found a X-Stitch Store!

A Romanesque Church

The Coliseum in Arles

Cat on a Bike with Basil!

Van Gogh made a Painting of this Bridge

Our Brand New Rental Car!

 

We left The Netherlands by train in the morning and by the end of the day we were in the heat and sun of the south of France.  We stayed in a lovely bed & breakfast in Graveson, France called Le Cadran Solaire.  We spent our first full day going to Arles and then St. Remy de Provence and then back to Arles.  The distances were so close that it wasn't a big deal.  More about Le Cadran Solaire and St. Remy de Provence in a later post.  Arles is a very ancient city from Roman times, but the Romans were everywhere at that time.  I did find a x-stitch shop and picked up a couple of small graphs.  Hope to get them finished in my lifetime!  I really have to get The Herbal Husband's sampler done of his citizenship!  It will be 20 years in February!  Well, fortunately the brand new rental car wasn't in a crash in the south of France.  They are very crazy drivers there!  It has been rainy, hailing and windy.  A wild day in the 'Burgh!  Hope you are having a great day.  Have a great weekend!  Talk to you later.